The present invention relates to applying electrical pulses to muscles that have been at least partially paralyzed.
Far too many injuries to people resulting in spinal damage occur each year. This type damage can often produce partial or total paralysis of muscles which are controlled from a point below the point of spinal cord damage. The victim then faces a life of relative inactivity and deterioration of muscles which otherwise would be active. Various physical therapy methods have been developed in recent years to assist in maintaining muscle integrity in such positions. One of these methods involves the use of electrical pulses. It is known that treating disease with electricity has intrigued man for centuries. However, recently there has been developed more sophisticated electrical stimulation programs. It has been found that in the presence of intact peripheral nerve excitability, an external source of excitation can induce functional motor responses for many patients who demonstrate difficulties in voluntary movement. Information on this has been reported in Functional Electrical Stimulation-A Practical Clinical Guide-Second Edition, developed at the Rancho Los Amigos Rehabilitation Engineering Center in Downey, Calif. That report states that common candidates for neuromuscular electrical stimulation includes the patient recovering from a cortical neuron lesion such as caused by stroke or head trauma; the spinal injury patient; the orthopedic surgical patient and some patients recovering from lower motor neuron disorders.
There have been several rotary apparatus for stimulating muscles to aid in the rehabilitation or exercise of the muscles involved. However, those of which we are aware are rather expensive ranging from $18,000-$40,000 or more. This precludes many people from having one of these in their homes.
It is therefore an object of this invention to disclose an apparatus that is simple and relatively inexpensive, but still very effective.